Mount Gerizim, the one true sanctuary / tr. from the Arabic by Abdullah Ben Kori ; ed. by W.E. Barton.

mount gerizim

The One True Sanctuary

By JACOB, SON OF AARON

HIGH PRIEST OF THE SAMARITANS

TRANSLATED BY ABDULLAH BEN KORI
PROFESSOR IN PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
FOREST GROVE, OREGON

EDITED BY

WILLIAM E. BARTON, D.D.

CONCERNING SAMARITAN MANUSCRIPTS.

The Samaritan priests, appreciating the interest of American and
European Christians, are now willing to sell to them accurate modern
copies of the ancient books of the Samaritan religion. I think it well,
however, to warn intending purchasers, that not all the copies offered
for sale, even in Nablus, are accurate. Some people of little learning,
relying on the ignorance of tourists, have made garbled copies of our
Torah, and sold them to tourists or correspondents. Manuscripts pur-
chased at our Synagogue, from myself or my sons, will be certified as
complete and correct. Several recent purchasers have sent their man-
uscripts to me for inspection, and I have been sorry not to be able to
certify to their correctness. It grieves us to have our Law incorrectly
copied. I request my friend, Dr. Barton, to make this statement to
intending purchasers. We desire that such copies of our sacred books
as go forth into Christian libraries shall be accurate. Any manuscript
purchased in our Synagogue, and bearing my seal, is genuine and
complete.

Jacob, Son of Aaron, High Priest of the Samaritans.

Samaritan Synagogue, Nablus, Palestine.

iUnrntt (Smztm, the (0tte ®nte Sanctuary

BY

JACOB, SON OF AARON

HIGH PRIEST OF THE SAMARITANS

TRANSLATED FROM THE ARABIC
BY PROFESSOR ABDULLAH BEN KORI
Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon

EDITED BY

REV. WILLIAM E. BARTON, D.D.
OAK PARK, ILLINOIS

BY THE COURTESY OF THE EDITOR
Reprinted from the Bibliotheca Sacra for July, 1907

OAK PARK, ILLINOIS
THE PURITAN PRESS

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MOUNT GERIZIM THE ONE TRUE SANCTUARY.

BY JACOB, SON OF AARON, HIGH PRIEST OF THE SAMARITANS AT

SHECHEM.1

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.

The following remarkable paper is by the present High Priest of
the , Samaritan religion. It is the living utterance of a sect almost
forgotten, and remembered by the world only in connection with its
relations, first with the Jews, and afterward with the ministry of
Jesus. Through these sources we know that the Samaritans have
held throughout the ages a weary and profitless controversy con-
cerning the authorized place, of worship. The pilgrim to Jerusalem
looses the shoes from off his feet in reverence for that ancient holy
place, and casts a curious glance at Gerizim as he rests by Jacob’s
well, and thinks of it as a shrine established by the excommuni-
cated priest Manasseh and his father-in-law Sanballat in the time
of Nehemiah.

Against this judgment on the evidence of one side the High Priest
asks to be heard. He claims to be able to show for Gerizim an an-
tiquity far antedating Jerusalem. For the first time in any modern
tongue (so far as is known to the editor of this document) he has
secured the ear of Christendom, and he asks for an impartial
hearing.

It will certainly surprise many readers of this article to find the
High Priest so keen a logician. While this article shows much
reasoning of the type we have learned to call rabbinical, his argu-
ment as a whole is logical, and follows the historical method to a
climax.

He claims to set forth, as he has received it from his fathers, the
Samaritan priests in unbroken succession from Aaron, the argument
for the sanctity of the holy mountain, Gerizim, against what he
deems the modem and unsupported claims of the Jebusite city
called by the Jews Jerusalem. That city, he affirms, was not
the place mentioned in the sacred Torah as the one to which the

1 Translated from the Arabic by Professor Abdullah Ben Kori, of
Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon ; edited by Rev. William E.
Barton, D.D., Oak Park, Illinois.

4

Mount Gerizim,

children of Israel were journeying, nor was it known to them, nor
was it in their possession, nor is it named in the passages m the
Scriptures of the Jews which they quote in support of it. The un-
named sanctuary there cannot refer to Jabish, which was not known
to the Jews at that time, nor until David captured it, and his wicked
son Solomon introduced idolatry of various kinds. He appeals to
the Scriptures of the Jews, and affirms that where the place of the
sanctuary is unnamed it cannot refer to Jerusalem, and that where
it is named it plainly names Gerizim. There the tribes gathered for
the ratifying of the Law, and there they continued to come for the
crowning of their kings. Even the son of Solomon came back to
Gerizim to be crowned, as the Jews themselves know, and their Scrip-
tures declare. How vain, then, is it for them to assert that their .city
possesses antiquity and sanctity, when their own writings, even with
the corruptions they have made in them, show that Gerizim is the
place for worship!

I regret that in the article published in the Bibliotheca Sacra
for July, 1906, one or two errors appeared in my statements concern-
ing the age and service of Jacob, the High Priest. The information
on which I relied for these items was inaccurate in some of its
minor details. In a recent letter the priest promises me detailed
biographical information, but furnishes these facts concerning his
own birth and administration : —

“ i Was born iu the year 1257 of the Mohammedan Era, which is
1841 a. d. My father died the same year I was born, and I was
brought up by my grandfather. He was very kind to me, and taught
me all I know. I was married at eighteen, and when I was twenty
years of age my grandfather put me into the priesthood, in which I
have been ever since.”

This paper constitutes the second of the ten chapters of the book
written by the High Priest, referred to in the previous article.

I do not pretend that the publication of the High Priest’s argu-
ment will greatly disturb the conclusions of Christian scholarship.
To us it matters little on what mountain men were once taught to
worship God; since now the true believer may worship the Father
everywhere. But if any importance whatever may be attached to
the historical inquiry, the High Priest has more to say for his side
of the controversy than most modern scholars have suspected.

I acknowledge the ability and courtesy of Professor Ben Kori.
whose translation has been a labor of love, and without whose
cooperation my own work would have been impossible.

William E. Barton.

Mount Gerizim.

5

THE SANCTITY OF GERIZIM.

In the name of the Most Merciful God. This chapter is
concerning the belief of the Samaritan people as regards the
direction in which they turn themselves in prayer, namely,
toward Mount Gerizim. Their authority is manifest from the
express commands of the holy Torah. In it we shall prove
that this identical mountain is the chosen site, the house of

God Bait-u-Elah. Upon it the Shekinah was established

during the life of our lord Joshua, the son of Nun (upon him
be peace and the best of favors) ; and therefore it should be
the place of worship. We shall reply, furthermore, to the
Jews, who* rejected it, and refute their alleged reasons for sub-
stituting another place for it, calling to our proof Scriptures
that expressly relate to it.

the divine revelation of the true sanctuary.

The Samaritan people, in the first place, declare that, as a
matter of fact and viewed from a rational standpoint, the best
knowledge is to know the Creator (who is exalted above all) ;
and the best action is to worship him (who is exalted) ; for
by both of these every being is ennobled. And, as the result of
the diligent inquiry of thinking people, they have been led to
the conviction that the Maker of the world is the Ancient One,
whose worship shall be, binding, and whose unity should be
made evident. The spiritual angels left their abode on high
and descended earthward upon that sacred spot wherein ap-
peared his worship (who is exalted), and the belief in his
oneness. The spot became, on that account, highly exalted,
and quite distinct from every other on the whole earth. This
distinction and explanation are satisfactory to thinking minds.

THE SANCTUARY FROM MOSES TO JACOB.

The prophets, according to the traditions, from Adam to

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Mount Gerizim.

our lord Moses (on whom be peace), had, doubtless, a direc-
tion toward which they turned themselves in their worship of
God (who is exalted and honored). Passages may be found
in the sacred Book that was brought down upon our lord
Moses (on whom be peace) which harmonize with this claim.
In fact, God (who is exalted) revealed the region and place
through Moses, as will be explained later on, with the help of
God (may he be exalted). But among those passages it will be
of use to mention the ones in connection with our lord Jacob
(on whom be peace).1

THE PROMISE IN TPIE WILDERNESS.

Again, we note what our lord Moses (on whom be peace)
mentioned in the song that was sung by himself and his people,
the children of Israel, in connection with the incident of the
sea, and which is found in Exodus xv. 17, meaning as follows :
“ Thou wilt introduce them, and plant them upon the mountain
of thy inheritance, in thy place,” down to the passage, in the
same chapter, whose purport is as follows : “ Which thou
hast made, O Lord, thy sanctuary. Confirm it, O God, by thy
power; thou, O God, wKo rulest eternally and forever.” This
prophecy of our lord Moses (on whom be peace) confirms the
continuation of the sanctity of that place ; for it is connected
with the ever existence of God and of his kingdom. Whether
by the way of inclusiveness or as a part of the whole, it is
God’s kingdom ; therefore this place is a chosen one.

THERE CAN BE BUT ONE SUCH SANCTUARY.

Moreover, what would be of import to our position is the
command of God (who is exalted) to destroy the places upon
which the foreigners worshiped their gods, namely, upon

1 The argument here is omitted as it appears later in place.

Mount Gerizim.

7

the high .mountains, in the groves, and under every shady tree.
He commanded them to demolish their altars, to undermine
their inclosures, to burn in fire their temples, to break to
pieces their engraved idols, to blot out their names from those
places, adding, “ Do not worship otherwise ; but only upon
the place which the Lord your God chose from among your
tribes that his name may abide therein, and he (who is exalted)
may dwell upon it.” The same is plainly indicated in
Deuteronomy xii. 26 : “ But thy offerings and thy vows,

which thou vowest and consecratest to God, carry and bring
over to the place which God chose.” This place has been
already shown, in another chapter, to exist in the land of
Canaan, and we shall refer to it later on.

JERUSALEM CANNOT BE THE SANCTUARY.

God preferred this tribe known as the Samaritans to those
of the Jews, because of God’s approval of the Samaritans over
the Jews in reference to the point to which direction in prayer
is made. In the manuscript of the Torah which is in the hands
of the Samaritans, the reference concerning the point of
direction in prayer is indicated in the past tense, namely, “in
the place which he chose.” The Jews, however, have in all
their manuscripts : “ in the place which he hath chosen.” The
Jews claimed the verb to be future, and that the command was
fulfilled under Solomon, the son of David, after the passing of
two hundred and thirty years of the possession of the land of
Canaan by the children of Israel. Then the Jews began to
build the city they call Jerusalem, which, in fact, was built by
and captured from the Jebusites under the reign of Solomon s
father, David, as we have indicated in the first chapter of this
book. But what would render this supposition null and void is
the making on the part of God (who is exalted) an obligatory

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Mount Gerizim.

duty upon his people of Israel, during the days of our lord
Moses (upon whom be peace) to bring forth a tenth of the
fruit of the land and of its crops, and to set apart whatever is
vowed of sheep, oxen, and their first-born yearly, and to
bring the same before the presence of God to the chosen place,
prohibiting their use for sacrifice in the villages and cities.
Now it would be wrong to make the tithes binding every year,
and to have them used in a special place, while the place is
either non-existent or unknown, with no means of finding it
out. This certainly cannot be accepted by sane minds ; for,
necessarily, the place must have been already existent and its
whereabouts must have been known before Jerusalem was in
the hands of the Jews. What might be an additional proof of the
wrong supposition of our opponents, as they claimed, is what
God (may he be exalted) made binding in reference to oxen
and sheep that are set apart; that is, he prohibited the free-
dom of using them and of having them kept in the hands of
him who would set them apart. He, indeed, specified the
period to which their setting apart must take place, which is, in
case of the oxen, according as it is recorded, up to the time
when the oxen reach the age of usefulness, say, in ploughing
the earth, and, then, they cannot remain in the hands of their
consecrators ; for said God (who is exalted) : “Do not plough
with the first-born of thy ox.” This means that the ox ought
to be brought to the house of God (who is exalted) before it
reaches its age of usefulness. The period limiting the conse-
cration of the first-born of sheep is before the sheep reach
what God (who is exalted) specified in the following: “Do

not shear the first-born of thy sheep ; but before the Lord thy
God thou shalt offer it yearly, in the place the Lord thy God
chose for thee.”

Mount Gerizim.

9

These arguments prove that there was a place of worship
known to the fathers and to which they took their sacrifices ;
and that before Jerusalem was known. We will now consider
the -reasons why this people claim that direction in prayer is
towards, and the worship of God (who is exalted) is upon,
the mountain, which is the mountain of worship for those who
devoted themselves to God (who is exalted).

GERIZIM WAS THE HOME OF ABRAHAM.

First, what befell our lord Abraham (upon whom be peace)
after God (who is exalted) commanded him to depart from
his land and native home, and said to him, “ Go to the land
which I shall reveal unto thee, and wherein I shall make thee
a great people, and bless thee.” The Lord (who is exalted)
tells us that Abraham (upon whom be peace) departed, follow-
ing his command, and came to the land of Canaan, and
journeyed in it till he entered Nablus, that is to “the meadow
of Moreh,” which is known scripturally and traditionally to be
identical with Nablus. It is thus ^ definitely located in the book
of Genesis (chap, xii.), the contents of which affirm that it is
the place in view, where our lord Abraham (upon whom be
peace) pitched his tent. Here, as he remained for a while and
settled down, God (may he be exalted) appeared to him, and
conversed with him, and blessed him, and promised to give
him, and his seed, that land (see aforementioned chapter).
We can easily conjecture from the contents that God com-
manded our lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) to leave his
country only in order that he might bring him to that place,
and we are certain that this place was the one he had promised
to direct him to. A sure indication was the fact that the altar
was built upon it, and the altar denotes the direction in
prayer, as well as the place of prayer and blessing ; for upon
Abraham’s arrival God (may he be exalted) blessed him, and

10

Mount Gerizim.

made gifts to him, and he through the prophetic spirit felt as
if his object would be accomplished in doing pilgrimage to
that mountain near by, as it is recorded in the same chanter,
where it says, “And he departed from there to the mountain
east of Beth-el, and pitched there his tent, Beth-el on the west
and Ai on the east, and he built there an altar to God, and in-
voked the name of God.” It becomes plain, therefore, that the
mountain by the side of the meadow of Moreh is between the
mountain of Gerizim and of Ebal (Deut. xL 30). These
boundaries and other indications make plain to us the location
of the plain of Moreh, and also the mountain of Gerizim.
Here is the Bethel. Here our lord Abraham (upon whom be
peace) established the altar of worship, and thereupon he de-
clared the name of God (may he be exalted), in order to in-
form us that the mountain is chosen for that end. The fact
is well known that Elon Moreh ” is the plain of Beha, and Ai
is a village east of that plain, and these boundaries are thrice
mentioned in the Samaritan Torah, — twice in the Decalogue
(once in its first division, and another time in its second
division). The Jews, however, dropped it out from the Dec-
alogue. The reason whereof is that the dignity and virtue
of Mount Gerizim is well affirmed therein. There remained,
nevertheless, in the Jewish scriptures, the boundaries as we
have mentioned them in Deuteronomy xi. The Jews struck
out the saying of God (who is exalted), “confronting
Nablus ” ; for the Samaritans says, “ By the side of Elon
Moreh, which is by the side of Nablus.” But though they
have struck out God’s saying, “ confronting Nablus,” the
boundaries that are mentioned in their own text are in favor
of our argument. The fame of the mountain of Gerizim and
of Ebal is, indeed, great, even in the manuscript of the Jews.
The boundaries therein recorded define both sides of the

Mount Gerizim.

11

plain : Gerizim on its right, Ebal on its left ; and the meadow
of Moreh is at the base of Gerizim, reaching as far- as the
base of Ebal, and Gilgal is opposite the two mountains, and
forms a part of their boundaries. To this the intelligent will
readily assent. If there were no distinct difference between
these two mountains, their boundaries would not have been
marked in so specific a manner: such a distinction and prefer-
ence for the mountain of Gerizim as against the mountain of
Ebal will be noticed in its own place in this chapter.

And what would assure us that Nablus and its mountain are
the place to which God (may he be exalted) directed our lord
Abraham (upon whom be peace), directing him “to the land
which 1 shall show thee,” is the great distance he had to go.
The departure of bur lord Abraham (upon whom be peace)
was from “the Ur of Kashdim [Chaldeans], which is in the
land of Khorasan.” None can make little of the distance be-
tween Khorasan and Nablus, to> which he went. With all that,
the holy Torah did not mention any stopping-place or the
visiting of any place by our lord Abraham (upon whom be
peace) while on his distant journey, except his destination, the
place of Nablus, the plain and the mountain confronting it :
for they were his sought object, and through them was ful-
filled what was promised to our lord Abraham ( upon whom be
peace) of blessings from his Abundance (may he be exalted).
Thus it is affirmed that Nablus is a chosen place, and its
mountain is a chosen place ; it is the mountain of blessing, as
it is so explained, and told according to the plain statement of
our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) ; for its name is given
as Beth-el.

GERIZIM IS THE PLACE OF THE SACRIFICE OF ISAAC.

The second argument for affirming that, it is the chosen place
of worship to God from eternity is that the holy men went to

12

Mount Gerizim.

it, and worshiped God upon it, and made pilgrimage to it, and
recognized it well. Most notable is the account given as to the
trial of our lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) when God
(may he be exalted) required the sacrifice of Isaac (upon
whom be peace), which is plainly given in Genesis xxii.
Therein it is said : “ After these words God tried Abraham
and spoke to Abraham, and he answered : Behold, here I am.
And God said, Take thy son, thy only son, whom thou lovest,
Isaac, and go to that land, the Moreh, and offer him as an
offering, upon one of the mountains which I will tell you.”

Our lord Abraham (upon him be peace) obeyed the order
given him, and rose up early, and took his son, our lord Isaac
(upon him be peace), and took with him wood for the offer-
ing, and took a knife with him, and also his servants ; and
moved in the direction of the place as it is indicated in the
chapter mentioned. He saw the place to be very distant, and
departed in that direction — to the land of Moreh, after he had
gone a distance of three days. Now what is meant by the
land of Moreh is where he stopped. It is the land of the plain
of Moreh by Nablus, and this must have been the place where
God (may he be exalted) conlmanded him to go. Then our
lord Abraham (upon him be peace) looked out to that mount-
ain from afar, and knew positively it was the mountain of
Gerizim ; for, on account of its fame and height, one can see it
from afar. The distance proves also that : our lord Abraham
(upon whom be peace), when the revelation was given him,
was living in the Bir of the Sabi (Beer-sheba), and that is the
exact distance between that place and Mount Gerizim ; for if
a man would depart early from the Bir of the Sabi, he would
not arrive at that mountain except upon the third day.1 This
is clearly not at all true to the place claimed by the Jews as

1 On this point, see article “ Moriah,” by Dr. Driver, in Hastings’s
Dictionary of the Bible.

Mount Gerizim.

13

that of the sacrifice, for it cannot be seen even at a distance of
half a day, not to mention three days. In due tim<e our lord
Abraham (upon whom be peace) arrived at the mountain, of
which he was told, and there he built the altar, that is, the
altar which he had built before, meaning, he built it again.

I It is not said, “ He built there an altar,” as if it were the first

time he had done so ; but “ the altar ” ; for where the letters
aleph and lamedh are prefixed to an indefinite noun, these let-
ters make it definite, and connect the altar thus rebuilt with a
previous and known history. There God (may he be exalted)
redeemed our lord Isaac (upon whom be peace) by a ram which
he sent, and which our lord Abraham (upon whom be peace)
offered in lieu of his son. Thus was fulfilled his prayer, name-
ly : “ May God attend to the sheep for offering, my son,” which
was uttered as a reply to the question of his son concerning the
sheep for the offering. Thus God answered his prayer, and
looked upon him with his mercy, and redeemed his son for
him, and saved him from the edge of the knife. Therefore our
lord Abraham (upon whom be peace) called the name of that
place “ god-is-seen.” This name was given for two reasons :
first, because God (m!ay he be exalted) saw Abraham (upon
whom be peace) with his mercy, and answered him ; secondly,
because it is a derivation of that place whose name is the land
of Moreh wherein the mountain was situated. The same ex-
pression is given in the Torah when it was brought down up-
on our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) ; it is : “ And Abra-
ham called the name of that place YHWH-Jireh,” that is,
" god-is-seen.” The report of this expression was given out
j by the tongue of our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) when

he said : “ It is said to-day, In the mountain YHWH shall be
seen,” for the fame of this mlountain was well spread among
the children of Israel, during the days of the prophet Moses

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Mount Gerizim.

(upon whom be peace), to the effect that it is the place of
prayer and the kiblah of those who pray.

Those who are friendly descendants of Abraham (upon
whom be peace), besides affirming the foregoing, basing their
stand upon the infallible revelation, believe the advantages
accrued in this mountain exist still for the benefit of the latter
generations. This could be used to subvert the Jews claiming
that the chosen place was selected by God (may he be ex-
alted) only through David and Solomon, adding in their copy
of the Torah that it was a place “ to be' chosen.” We have,
therefore, thus produced convincing passages out of the
Scriptures, and have proved that the kiblah was chosen from
eternity.

gerizim: is the beth-el of Jacob's vision.

The third argument can be developed out of the life of our
lord Tacob (upon whom be peace). Both the Samaritan and
the Jewish copies agree on what was reported in Genesis
xxviii. as to his departure to his uncle’s, and as to what he
met in that place where lie tarried the night in dreaming that
dream and in seeing those visions. From these incidents the
high standing of that place, being the gate of heaven, its dis-
tinction from other mountains, the necessity of directing one-
self toward it in prayer, and its being the kiblah of the saints
are strongly confirmed. We have said something along this
line in the first part of this chapter.

The fourth argument is, our lord Jacob (upon whom be
peace) arrived safely from his journey, which was accom-
plished by God’s providence as is indicated in Genesis xxxi.
13, where God says, “ I am the God of Beth-el, where thou
anointedst a pillar and didst vow a vow ; arise and go to the
land of thy nativity.” While on the mountain, as he was on his
way, he had vowed as follows : “If God will be with me, and

Mount Gerizim.

15

will keep me in this way which I go, and will give me bread
as food and clothes to put on, and if I return in peace to the
house of my father ; God shall be my lord, and this stone that
I have set shall be the house of God : and whatever thou shalt
give me, that I shall surely tithe for thee.” When the Lord
(may he be exalted) favored him, and gave him blessings and
brought him back in peace, and fulfilled his request, and con-
ferred upon him his favors, he imposed it a duty upon him to
fulfill his vows. He reminded him of his pillar and promise,
and told him to go to that very place wherein he made his
vow, there to fulfill it. Jacob, loaded with abundant favors,
obediently left his uncle, and came in the direction of Nablus,
for it was the intended place (see Gen. xxxiii. 18). “And
Jacob came safely to Shechem, which is Nablus, which is in
the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and he
pitched his tent before the city.”

Now, the single return of Jacob to the city of Nablus is the
fulfillment of his prayer, which . he uttered in the course of his
vow, saying, “And if I return safely to the house of my
father.” Verily, it was the fulfillment. of what he wished. By
the house Of his father is meant the altar his grandfather
Abraham (upon whom be peace) had built in the plain at
Nablus, and it is the very one previously mentioned as “ Elon
Moreh.” Therefore our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace)
pitched his tent in that place. “ He pitched his tent before that
city.” The city is Nablus. He, also, bought that plain, to
» which reference has been made, from the people of those days,

and which is called “ Halkat us-Sahra.” The name of the
plain was at first “Elon Moreh,1' but now it is “Halkat us-
Sahra.” What stronger argument could there be than Tift
fact that our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) j bdrigllHJfMi
plain to the neglect of others ; that he erected T her efcfP Thl

16

Mount Gerizim.

and called the name of that altar “ The Mighty God of
Israel ” ? This parcel of “ us-Sahra ” belonging to Nablus is at
the base of Mount Gerizim. Both the Samaritan and Jewish
people agree upon its name and fame. At its corner our lord
Joseph (upon whom be peace) is buried. His tomb is still to be
seen in it until this very day. This fact is strongly affirmed by
the written traditions of both of the mentioned peoples, so we
have exact and undisputed knowledge so far as that place is
concerned.

The Samaritan people know their truths through what has
been written about it in the books of their forefathers and
through their dwelling near by it.

THE BURIAL OF JOSEPH PROVES THE SANCTITY OF GERIZIM.

With the Jews, what affirms our position is the thirty-second
verse of the twenty-fourth chapter of Joshua, reading as
follows : “ And the bones of Joseph, which the children of

Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, which
place was bought for one hundred sheep, and it became a
possession of the children of Joseph.” But the Samaritan
people explain, from the Scriptures and traditions of their
forefathers, that the cause of their forefather Jacob’s buying
this parcel of land was its exalted rank, because our Lord
Abraham (upon whom be peace) erected upon it an altar, and
because of its nearness to Mount Gerizim. The burial of our
lord Joseph (upon whom be peace) is in that very place. This
has been our contention throughout the long discussion with
the aforesaid people. Apparently the burial of Joseph (upon
whom be peace) was the result of a special revelation from
God (may he be exalted) to our lord Joshua (upon whom be
peace), for it was among those sections of Nablus given to our
lord Joseph (upon whom be peace) by his father Jacob (upon

Mount Gerizim.

17

whom be peace). This is explained in Genesis xlviii. 21:
“ And I gave thee Nablus [Sam, Heb. reads Shecbem] in
preference to thy brothers, which I took from the band of the
Amorite with my sword and bow.”

This passage, taken from the Hebrew text, harmonizes with
the passage found in the Samaritan text, and also with the
text used by the Jews. Accordingly the lord Joshua (upon
whom be peace) and the people with him, who found favor in
God’s sight, gave Nablus and its dependencies to the children
of Joseph (upon whom be peace), wherein they buried their
grandfather.

We do not admit the claim of the Jews, to the effect that
Nablus was one of the cities of Refuge, as is found in their
book of Joshua. Now, the cities of Refuge belonged to the chil-
dren of Levi : observe, therefore, this contradiction. Joseph
(upon whom be peace) was buried in his own portion, as it is
admitted by both Samaritans and Jews and as we explained
previously, and not in land belonging to the Levites (upon
whom be peace). '

The reason why our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) gave
particularly Nablus to our lord Joseph (upon whom be peace)
in preference to his brothers can be found in Jacob’s desire to
recompense his son’s beneficent deeds and favors which the
latter accorded to his father and brothers in supplying with
abundance their deficiencies and needs in those years of
famine, as the report is given in Genesis xlvii. 12, where we
find the following: “And Joseph nourished his father,

brothers, and all his father’s family, with bread, according to
their families.”

He used to feed them, and give them bread, to each in
sufficient quantity, including even their children. There was
no bread in all the land, for famine was felt sorely. There-

18

Mount Gerizim.

fore Jacob (upon whom be peace) gave the noblest of the
earth’s spots especially to him. And God (may he be exalted)
made it a duty upon any of the children of Israel who was to
take possession of his own inheritance, wherever it might be,
to come to this spot, in order to be sanctified by treading on it,
and in order to receive a blessing from it, and thence to carry
such a blessing to his own land. And notice of this is given
in the book of Deut. xxxiii. 13, in the blessing recorded by
our lord Moses (upon whom be peace) concerning our lord
Joseph (upon whom be peace): “And of Joseph he said,
Blessed of the Lord be his land for the precious things of
heaven.” This is the land which was given to him and where-
in he was buried ; it is the blessed land from God (may he be
exalted). Blessed shall be those who make pilgrimage to it,
and those who dwell upon it : this passage confirms the fact
that Nablus and its mountain are chosen by God (may he be
glorified). He sanctified them, and blessed them, and made
them a worthy site for his worship, and .for the fulfilling of
vows therein.

GERIZIM WAS THE PLACE TO WHICH JACOB “ WENT UP ”

TO WORSHIP.

The fifth argument can be drawn from the following: That
the Scriptures declare the place called Beth-el to be the chosen
site and identified with Mount Gerizim is plain from the ac-
count of what took place between our lord Jacob (upon whom
be peace) and Shekim the son of Hiemor, who was the gover-
nor of Nablus in those days, in regard to the latter’s marriage
with Jacob’s daughter Dinah. When Jacob’s sons killed the
inhabitants of Nablus, our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace)
became afraid of the consequences of their action, and the Cre-
ator (may he be exalted) knew of his fear and revealed to him
his will as follows : “ Arise, and go up to Beth-el, and remain

Mount Genzim.

19

there ; and erect an altar to the Omnipotent, who appeared to
thee in thy flight from before thy brother Esau.” Our lord
Jacob (upon whom be peace) was at that time living in the
land-parcel which he bought from the Amorites, which is Elon
Moreh, which is close by Mount Gerizim, as we have ex-
plained previously. Now when God (may he be exalted) said
to Jacob (upon whom be peace) : “ Go up,” he meant that he
who desires to go up to Mount Gerizim from this land-parcel,
his doing so is a continuous going up from the beginning of his
march until his arrival. Furthermore it is explained that this
place, upon which Jacob (upon whom be peace) was com-
manded to go, was the very place where he tarried the night
in his flight from his brother Esau. It was there that the
angel appeared to him. He called that place Beth-el, and
erected a pillar upon it. In the account (to which reference
has been made) Jacob (upon whom be peace) is commanded
to erect another altar on it, in order that the timid may be well
assured that such a place is his refuge, for it is the house of
God, the protector, (may he be exalted) who saves the one
taking refuge in him and seeking him' by faith, in this place.
Our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace) obeyed, and per-
formed, as the Holy Spirit told him, what is dutiful to every-
one intending to make a pilgrimage to this place. It was what
had been performed, also, by his forefathers. He ordered his
children to put away from among them the foreign gods, which
they had stolen from the worship houses of the people of
Nablus. He ordered them to purify themselves, and to change
their clothes, as is given in Genesis xxxv. 6. Thereupon he com-
manded them to go up to Luzah, to Beth-el, as it is said in the
same chapter: “ So Jacob came to Luzah, which is in Canaan
(the same is Beth-el), he and all the people that were with
him.” These passages indicate that the place is one, and there is

20

Mount Gerizim.

no other included. It belongs to God, and it was not substituted.
It was called, formerly, Luzah, but now it is called Beth-el.
How could there be doubt of its being the chosen place, when
its former name “ Lu-zah ” means “to God ” and its follow-
ing name “ Beth-el ” means “ the house of the Almighty ” ? It
was, moreover, called “ Beth-Elohim,” meaning “ the house
of angels”; also “ Sheer-hashamaim,” meaning “the gates oi
heavens/’ The name “ Gerizim ” appeared for the first time
only during the life of our lord Moses (upon whom be peace).
He who knows Hebrew and has it at his command can hardly
fail to see strong proofs and plain indications in these names,
as they are pronounced in Hebrew, and it takes little consid-
eration of these legal and Mosaic passages to come to the
sure conclusion that they designate Mount Gerizim or Beth-el,
meaning “ the house of God ” ; that it is the kiblah for the
worship of God (who is exalted) and the proper site for his
descending glory ; that it is the place designated by the
apostle Moses (upon whom be peace) in Exodus xv. 4, while
he was praying to God that the people of Israel might remain
firm in this mountain, as follows : “ Thou shalt bring them in,
and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the
place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in ; in
the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
Thou, O Lord, shalt reign forever and ever.” From these
passages it appears that the place in question is holy, and that
its holiness is subject to no change with God (who is exalted).

GERIZIM IS THE MOUNTAIN WHERE JOSHUA SET UP
THE PILLAR.

The sixth argument we can have from what is related in 4he
book of Joshua, the one which is in the possession of the
Samaritans and according to the one in the possession of the

*

a

Mount Gerizim.

21

Jews, that the aforesaid mountain is sanctified to God.' The
Jewish book called Joshua, in chap. xxiv. 25, says: “And

Joshua made a covenant in that day.; he set thereon a statute
and an ordinance in Nablus, and wrote all these sayings in
the law of God, and he took a large stone, and set under the
Hailah, the oak, that was in the sanctuary of God.” This
“ Hailah ” is the one under which our lord Jacob (upon whom
be peace) buried the spoils his children took from Nablus,
when he came up to this mountain, as it is seen in Genesis
xxxv. 4: “And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods

which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their
ears ; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by
Shechem.” Thus it is clear from this and other passages
that the sanctuary of God was in Nablus, and that it is the
place wherein existed “ Hailah,” whose fame is great with the
Samaritans until this day. Even the Muslims who live near by^
or in Nablus receive blessings from it, and, following the man-
ner of the children of Israel, call it « The Pillar,” deriving this
name from the pillar which our lord Joshua (upon whom be
peace) set, and whereupon he wrote the covenant which he
made with the children of Israel just before his death, as pre-
viously mentioned.

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT REQUIRES WORSHIP
IN GERIZIM.

The seventh argument is that in the Samaritan Torah, in the
Decalogue, in the tenth commandment, there is the following :
“ And it shall be that when God1 shall bring thee into the land
of the Canaanite, which thou shalt enter to inherit it ; there
shalt thou set up large stones, and thou shalt plaster them
with plaster, and thou shalt write upon the stones all the words
of this law. And when ye shall cross the Jordan, ye shall set
up these stones, as I am commanding you, in Mount Gerizim.

22

Mount Gerizim.

And ve shall build there an altar for the Lord your God,
and thou shalt offer thereupon offerings for the Lord your
God ; and this mountain is beyond Jordan, towards where the
sun sets, in the land of the Canaanite, who dwells in the
Arabah opposite Gilgal, beside Elon Moreh, in front of
Nablus.”

This commandment of the Decalogue was omitted by the
Jews in their copy : if they would investigate, they would find
their Decalogue to be formed of nine commandments. But
this commandment was repeated again before the death of our
lord the Apostle Moses (upon whom be peace). He made a
covenant with them and reminded them of this commandment
still found in Deuteronomy xvii. in the copies of both Samari-
tans and Jews : “ And Moses and the elders of Israel com-

manded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments I
commanded you this day. And when. ye shall cross the Jordan
to the land the Lord God shall grant thee, then set thee up
large stones, and plaster them with plaster, and write upon
them all the words of the law. When thou shalt cross into the
land the Lord your God shall give you, a land that produces
milk and honey, as said the Lord, the God of your fathers
when ye shall cross over, ye shall set up these stones, which I
command you this day.”

Now in the Samaritan Torah the stones are ordered to be
set up “ in Mount Gerizim ” ; while the Jews have “ in Mount
Ebal.” It continues : “ And thou shalt plaster them with
plaster, and thou shalt erect an altar to the Lord thy God, an
altar of stones ; thou shalt not lift upon them any iron. Of
whole stones shalt thou build the altar of the Lord thy God,
and thou shalt offer upon it burnt offerings to the Lord thy
God, and thou shalt offer peace sacrifices. Thou shalt eat
there and rejoice before the Lord thy God.” He repeated the

Mpunt Gerizim.

23

same thought again in this chapter, and made it a duty to have
the blessing recited from upon Mount Gerizim, because of the
descent of the blessing in this mountain upon the children of
Israel. Therefore he said : “ These should stand upon Mount
Gerizim to bless the people.” They were Simon, Levi, Juda,
* Iesheker, Joseph, and Benjamin; opposite them, according to

the command of God (who is exalted), stood six others, upon
Mount Ebal, as it is said : “ And these should stand upon

Mount Ebal to curse.” They were Reuben, Gad, Esher, Zeb-
ulun, Dan, and Naphtali. Following these passages, this
change made by the Jews becomes plain ; they claim the altar
was to be built on Mount Ebal, whereas God (who is exalted)
made known to us, through the preceding passages, the ex-
alted difference of Mount Gerizim from Mount Ebal. He told
us what to do : to rejoice in that place, where he commanded
an altar to be erected thereupon to offer sacrifices and to do
other specified things ; but joy cannot take place in Mount
Ebal, on account of what he commanded to be done upon it,
namely, to curse and threaten, which, rather, causes repent-
ance and weeping. Sadness would take hold of the feelings,
and if those curses and threatenings were heard one would
necessarily weep and repent. All this opposes Joy. But the
blessings and promises are heard together with other con-
comitant expressions, namely, blessing God’s name; then joy
would result. Gladness will possess the feelings ; for blessings
contain promises of the abundance of wealth, descent of bless-
ing, assurance of victory, and fulfillment of covenant. Prayer
must be applied to receive them. God (who is exalted) made
5 us know, from the Scriptures, that to give and receive blessing
must be accompanied with “ His name” (who is exalted).
Thus he said to the children of Aaron, who were ordered to
bless continually the people of God, Israel, as in Numbers vi.

•24

Mount Gerizim.

22 : “ And God spake to Aaron and his sons, saying : Thus
ye shall bless the children of Israel ” as far as “And they shall
place my name upon the children of Israel and I shall bless
them.” It is proved, therefore, that blessing must be joined
with God’s name; that God (may he be exalted) established
a place wherein it is good to hear it ; that the latter can be ob-
tained upon Mount Gerizim. Thus it is written in Deut. xi.
29 : “ And thou shalt perform the blessings upon Mount

Gerizim and the cursings upon Mount Ebal.” Hence to ask
for the blessings and to obtain them must occur only upon
this mountain upon which God (may he be exalted) made it
imperative to have thanksgiving, sacrificial offerings, and re-
joicing, associated with hearing the blessings, as they take
place upon Mount Gerizim. The Jews, however, still ke^p
with no alteration the two previously recorded commands in
regard to Mount Gerizim, namely : “ Thou shalt give the

blessings upon Mount Gerizim ” and also^ : “ Those shall stand
on Mount Gerizim to bless the people.” But in connection
with the altar, sacrificial offerings, and rejoicing, they change
Gerizim to Ebal and, thereby, unite two impossibilities, namely,
of having cursing and rejoicing take place jointly, as we have
already said. But, at any rate, the erection of an altar as well
as the offering of sacrifices and rejoicing must take place in a
sacred place, well fitted for that end; for such must be done
“ before God.” It must be attended to as soon as possession
of the land shall become a fact. God made it imperative that
it should take place only in the site chosen as his kiblah, as
several passages of the Scriptures testify to it. He connected
the offering of sacrifices with the tabernacle : whosoever of-
fered sacrifices outside of the tabernacle was caused to perish.
He (who is exalted) commanded that the tabernacle should be
erected in the appointed place ; he made both the tabernacle

Mount Gerizim.

25

and the place eternally indissoluble the one from the other.

As for the conditions of sacrificial offerings before the
presence of God, that is, in the kiblah of God, they are found in
Leviticus, in several chapters, among which is the seventeen^.
Let the reader look this up, and its contents will be found clear.
As to the indissoluble connection of the tabernacle with its ap-
pointed site, we find several chapters that refer to it, among
which is Deuteronomy xxi. In this chapter God (may he be
exalted) set and designated the appointed place ; what must
be done upon it; the sacrificial offerings and the rejoicing.
From it, it is clear that rejoicing should be done in the taber-
nacle in the appointed place, and that assures us that the ap-
pointed place is Mount Gerizim, which is by Nablus. As to
whether it is Mount Gerizim (according to the Samaritans) or
Ebal (according to the Jews) in connection with the erection
of an altar, the offerings and rejoicing, taking place “before
God,” that question has been answered. The law must be read
after the passing of the “ seven years.” The reading must
be done in the hearing of all the children of Israel (see Deut.
iii. 9-12). Also the passover offering must be done in connec-
tion with “ the appointed place,” and not in the temple house,
as the Jews claim, and in no other place. The necessary pil-
grimages are three every year. Such pilgrimages, according to
God’s command, must be rendered in his presence, in his ap-
pointed place. It is found in Joshua that our lord Joshua
(upon whom be peace) left undone not even a word of the
Law, but he executed* it. The land rested in his days. (See
Josh. xi. 15 ; viii. 35.) At the close of the latter chapter we
read: “He did not neglect even one word of what Moses
commanded; he executed everything.”

GERIZIM IS THE MOUNT OF BLESSING.

The eighth argument, which also confirms the fact that

26

Mount Gerizim.

Mount Gerizim is the appointed place, is that it was the
mountain upon which the blessings were recited. Now I will
draw the contrast between the exalted estate of Mount Gerizim
and that of Mount Ebal, in addition to what preceded.

1. We note the appointment of the first six tribes to stand on
Mount Gerizim for blessing; while the other six tribes, all
lower in nobility, were designated to stand on Mount Ebal.
The tribes upon Ebal were, with the exception of two, the
children of concubines. As to Reuben and Zebulun, there is
discussion that, for time and space, we shall let go by in this '
short essay.

2. The necessity of giving the blessings on Mount Gerizim
and the cursings on Mount Ebal.

3. When the two mountains are named, Gerizim is always
mentioned first.

4. The very appearance of the two mountains suggests a
contrast, and discloses the existence of traces of blessings on
Mount Gerizim. It is a shining mountain. It is crowned with
water springs gushing from all its sides. It has a full vege-
tation and a healthy climate. Mount Ebal has nothing of the
kind as we can see to-day.

5. The fact that it is called “ Beth-el,” and that Elon
Moreh is by its side. The latter is also called “ Halkat us-
Sahra.” No explanation is needed here for the one who looks
upon and reads the books of Moses (upon whom be peace)..
From every standpoint Mount Gerizim towers over Ebal, and
is in every possible way superior to it in all points of ex-
cellency.

6. There is in the Samaritan Torah the passage that the
erection of the altar and the offering of sacrifices should take
place on Gerizim. This is the true reading. Contrary to what
the Jews affirm, corrupting the very Torah to prove their

Mount Gerizim.

27

position, changing the one true place of worship, first to
Shiloh and afterward to Jebesh, and causing their Law to
read that the holy altar was erected on Ebal the mountain of
cursing, the Samaritans preserve and obey the word as it was
revealed through Moses (upon whom be peace).

7. The Jews forgot Nablus and its exalted state, in spite of
the fact that in the days of Samuel and Saul, as it is evident
from their own books of Kings and Chronicles, they used
never to declare allegiance to a monarch or crown a king ex-
cept in Shechem or Nablus; for it was the capital of the King-
dom of Israel, and in the lot of our lord Joseph (upon whom
be peace), who is the first king that appeared out of the de-
scendants of our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace).1

THE TWICE SEVEN HOLY NAMES OF MOUNT GERIZIM.

The Samaritan books have for Mount Gerizim twice seven
holy names.

1. The first name is “ the ancient mountain/' The
Ancient One (may he be exalted) chose it from the creation,
from the time lie made the dry land to appear. It is so desig-
nated in Deut. xxiii. 15, where in the blessing of Joseph (upon
whom be peace) it is stated that his blessing shall be from the
excellencies of “ the ancient mountain.”

2. It is called beth-el, meaning “ the house of the al-
mighty.” The Almjighty (may he be exalted) caused it to
be a shield and a help to the one making pilgrimage to it. He
made it a refuge and sanctuary to all those who turn to God
(may he be exalted) and seek him upon it. This name
was mentioned several times in Jacob’s flight for his fear of
those of Nablus, that is, those who live in or by it. God
(may he be exalted) told him, “Arise, and go up to Beth-el.”

1 See, e. g., the account of the coronation of Rehoboam, the son of
Solomon (1 Kings xii. 1).

28

Mount Gerizim.

A full discussion of the same has already been made in this
chapter, and God (may he be exalted) knows best.

3. The third name is “the house of angels” (Elohim).
It is the dwelling of the holy angels. They never abandon it ;
they continually remain in it, praising God (may he be ex-
alted) and praying to him on it. Our lord Jacob (upon whom
be peace) uttered this name when he said : “ This is no other
than the house of God” (Gen. xxviii. 17).

4. The fourth name is “ the gate of heaven.” Everyone
who prays and seeks God (may he be exalted) in prayer, must
direct himself to it. To prove it, see what our lord Jacob (up-
on whom be peace) said in the same chapter, namely, “And
this is the gate of heaven.”

5. The fifth name is luzah. It is declared in the same
chapter that the name of the city was, at first, Luzah. That
was its surname from the beginning; for in the first ages they
used to designate this mountain, saying, “To him is this
[LozehJ, that is, “to god is this place.” This was because
of what they used to see of its greatness and lights, and this
was the reason why our lord Jacob (upon whom be peace)
said about this mountain : “ How full of lights is this place ”
(see preceding chapter).

6. The sixth name is “ sanctuary.” It is spoken of as the
dwelling of the Holy One (may he be exalted), and it is the
place of the sanctuary and the kiblah of the sanctiful people.
All these words fit it closely. It is the place of God (may he
be exalted). Therefore spoke the great prophet Moses (upon
whom be peace) in the holy Torah, in designating this mount-
ain : “ Thou hast made a sanctuary, O Lord.”

7. The seventh name is “ mount gerizim.” It is explained
after the Scriptures as the mountain of blessing : “ Thou
shalt make the blessing upon Mount Gerizim.,:> It is, also,

Mount Gerizim.

29

hinted at as the dwelling of God (may he be exalted) where-
upon the name of God (may he be exalted) must be uttered.
Compare “ In the place where my name is pronounced, there I
shall be, and I shall bless thee.”

8. The eighth name is “ beth-yhwh.” This is the

very name of the Highest. Compare Exodus xxiii. 19 : The

firstlings of thy land shalt thou bring to the house of the Lord
[Beth-YHWH] thy God.” It is the place of offerings of
tithes, firstlings, sacrifices and presents, and of everything that
belongs to God (may he be exalted), according to his com-
mand. And as there is no companion to the Owner of the
name YHWH, so there is among all the. mountains none like
this mountain.

9. The ninth name is “the beautiful mountain. Com-

pare Deut. iii. 25, where our lord Moses (upon whom be
peace)- designated so in his prayer that he may enter the holy
land in order to see the beautiful mountain : “ Let me go be-
yond to the good land, which is across the Jordan, that beauti-
ful mountain and Lebanon.” He meant by “ that beautiful
mountain ” Mount Gerizim ; he was praying in its direction as
he called it so. The reason of thus surnaming it is found in
the fact that God (may he be exalted) had commanded that
everything good should be offered upon it, beginning from
Abel (see Gen. iv. 4) : “And Abel offered, also, of the first-
lings of his sheep and of its fat ones.” This mountain offering
corresponds with the written traditions kept by this people.
God (may he be exalted) commanded it, namely, that every-
thing good and holy should be offered him upon this mountain.
We find the following in Deuteronomy xii. 11 : “To the place

which the Lord your God shall choose from your tribes to
cause his name to dwell there, ye shall bring thither what I am

30

Mount Gerizim.

commanding’ you as far as “ and the bvst of the vows ye vow
to God.”

10. The tenth name is the chosen place,” as in verse 5
of the same chapter, and in many other passages.

11. The eleventh name is “the highest in the world.”
So called it our two great lords, our lord Jacob and our lord
Moses (upon them be peace), in the blessing they gave Joseph
(upon whom be peace). The words of our lord Jacob (upon
whom be peace) are as lollows : He said in the blessing, “ The
blessing of thy father and of thy mother have prevailed upon
the blessing of the mountains.” Again, “ Even to the bound
of the highest in the world ” shall be to the chief Joseph (up-
on whom be peace). Our lord Moses (upon whom be peace)
spoke in blessing Joseph (upon whom be peace) as follows-.
“ Fr^m the best things of the ancient mountain and the best
things of the highest in the world.” Hie. mleant that this
mountain is the highest of the earth’s mountains in point of ex-
cellency and altitude.

12. The twelfth name is “the first of mountains,” situ-
ated within the boundaries of the best of the tribes. Compare
what God (may he be exalted) said about it to our lord
Abraham (upon whom be peace) : “Upon the best, or first, of
mountains, which I will tell you.” This was when God (may
he be exalted) was trying his allegiance by commanding him
to offer his son Isaac (upon whom be peace), as in Genesis
xxii. 2 : “ Take thy son, thy only son, whom; thou lovest,
Isaac, and bring him to the land of Moreh and offer him as
an offering upon the first of mountains, which I will tell you.”

13. The thirteenth name is “ god is seen.” It was given by
our lords Abraham and Moses (upon them be peace). Com-
pare Genesis xxii. 14.

Mount Gefizim.

31

14. The fourteenth name is “ the mountain of the in-
heritance of the shekinah ” for our lord Moses ( upon
whom be peace) said: “In the mountain of thy inheritance,
the place of thy dwelling,” as we have previously explained in
this chapter.

Both the Samaritan and Jewish copies agree that our lord
Joshua (upon whom be peace), before his death, gathered all
Israel, and they stood in the presence of God in the. taber-
nacle, as we read in the Jewish book of Joshua (chapter
xxiv.).

He made there a covenant with them that should remain
faithful to the keeping of the law, given through our lord
Moses, the son of Amram (upon whom be peace). Just after
that it is said, “ And he made them a statute and an ordinance
in Shechem,” the city now known as Nablus. That was im-
mediately before his death.

To prove what we have said, let it be known that Nablus
was the capital of the kingdom of Israel, and one of its
mountains was Mount Gerizim, whereupon, during the life of
our lord Joshua (upon whom be peace), the tabernacle was
erected. Another proof is that all those who served in the
tabernacle, namely, Eleazer, Phinehas, Ithamar, Shisha,
Bahka, and Uzza and the seventy elders, who prophesied from
the gift of our lord Moses (upon whom be peacd), all of these
were ordered to be buried opposite the aforesaid mountain,
and so it was done. They were buried opposite the noble
mountain in Amarta, after they had spent their age in serv-
ing in the tabernacle. Their graves are still known to both
Samaritans and Jews unto this day. If, according to the
fancy of the Jews, the tabernacle had been in Jebesh, 'these
great priests would have been buried there. One sees their
graves — all directed towards this mountain.

3 0112 073

52867

32 Mount Gerizim.

Thus do the Samaritans prove their sanctuary the true
place of prayer, appealing not to their own traditions only, but
to the testimony of priests whom the Jews also honor, whose
graves, now with us and undisputed, bear their own eloquent
testimony to the truth which we profess; for those graves
point, as we pray, toward the Holy Mountain, where we still
worship the God of our fathers.

Let me conclude this chapter by saying : This is the creed

of the Samaritans and their belief in this mountain. They
offer their sacrifices upon it, and perform upon it all that is
necessary for their sanctification, in accordance with Deut.
xxxiii. 18-19. They argue that the prophet-leader, who shall
lead the world, will surely appear. He will bring up again
the Shekinah upon the aforesaid mountain, in the second king-
dom, when God shall look with favor upon his people and shall
forgive them.

O God; direct us to thy pleasure, and confirm us in

TEIE BEST FAITH THROUGH ' THE INTERMEDIATION OF OUR LORD
AND PROPHET MOSES, THE SON OF AMRAM !

This chapter is what a tired mind and a weak in-
telligence COULD ATTAIN WITHIN THE LIMITS OF BRIEFNESS.

And God knows best.

Jacob, Son of Aaron, High Priest of the Samaritans
at Shechem.